Blogging also helps me to keep an online photo-journal of the places I’ve travelled to as they can start becoming a bit of a blur after a while. I enjoy reliving my travel memories and it’s also a good record for my family.
2018 seems to have flown by in a flash. It seems like not too long ago that I was recovering from – and writing about - my bumper 3-week December 2017 trip, when we visited Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and United Arab Emirates.
In January, we just managed to visited Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens for a picnic before the school year started with a bang.
In March I was invited to Gold Reef City to experience their new ride.
During the March and April school holidays, I managed to tick Namibia off my bucket list, thanks to our British Airways credit card loyalty points. It was a long overdue trip as Namibia is our neighbour and yet, we had never been there before. Namibia was unlike any other place I’d been before. The places we visited included Sossusvlei, Swakopmund, Etosha, Okonjima, Spitzkoppe and Windhoek. In Windhoek, we experienced Airbnb for the first time.
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In May, we had a short staycation at the Radisson Blu Gautrain in Sandton and in June, we had a short staycation at 54 on Bath in Rosebank.
During July, we visited one of my favourite South African provinces, Mpumalanga. Our first stop was the luxurious Walkersons Hotel in Dullstroom. We then visited Kruger Park Lodge, near Kruger National Park and one of our old favourites, Crystal Springs. Of course, we had to go on a safari in the process.
During September, I was invited along with a group of other writers and bloggers to explore Joburg’s heritage sites. My husband and I then went to Durban for a conference for two nights. Durban was really busy but we managed to find great accommodation at the Garden Court Umhlanga. On our return, we took the kids to Sci-Bono, one of their favourite Joburg places, to visit the Lascaux exhibition from France.
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At the end of September and the beginning of October, we visited the Drakensberg and Kwazulu Natal Midlands regions. We stayed at Drakensberg Sun Resort and The Nest Hotel in Drakensberg. In the beautiful Midlands, we stayed at Hartford House and Brahman Hills.
Among the gifts I received this year, were a Solo backpack, which I love travelling with, and Travis Touch, a nifty gadget which makes language barriers a thing of the past. In between my travels, I did a fair amount of freelance writing and social media work.
Then it was the last term for the year and the final school exams. At last, the exams ended and we spent two weeks in Saudi Arabia. And that was my 2018 blogging year in a nutshell. Like most other people, I have also had disappointments and felt stressed out. I've felt discouraged and lacked motivation. #keepingitreal . I prefer not to dwell on these times though.
How was your 2018?
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Read about my 2017 , 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 years.
Here are some of my other popular posts this year.
39 signs that you are a travel addict
9 Books about Africa that you must read
How to deal with emergencies when travelling
and my all-time most popular post "How to apply for a passport online", which is still as popular as ever..
Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.
Amazing post. I am glad I found your blog. Can't wait to see what 2019 will bring 😊🔥💖
Thank you so much Divine. All the best to you for 2019 as well 🙂